Page 166 - The Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) 香港綠色建築議會
P. 166
Private Sector Kwun Tong Town Centre Redevelopment:
Projects Striving for Sustainable Urban Renewal in
a High-Density Environment
’Hygiene conditions are pathetic here, with around Yue Man Square became infamous While urban redevelopment inherently fulfils
people urinating in the staircases and the for traffic jams and the associated air and several site selection criteria of a sustainable
air is filthy. I don’t really want to live here noise pollution. Concomitantly, the buildings, neighbourhood development, such as the
anymore, if I have a choice,‘ commented predominantly 4 to 13-storeys high and more preservation of existing green open space,
Mrs Lam, a resident of the Kwun Tong town than 50 years old, were dilapidated and some the existence of community connectivity,
centre. During the community engagement were not even structurally intact. and access to public transportation, the
workshops organised in 2005, many logistics involved to implement such projects
inhabitants expressed the same eagerness to Against this background, the Urban Renewal probably take up more resources than any
move out of the bustling hub that had been Authority (URA) officially launched the Kwun
serving them since the 1960s. Social worker Tong Town Centre Redevelopment Project
Miss Tse pointed out another pressing issue in March 2007. Zoned as a Comprehensive
at the site: ’The narrow road at Yue Man Development Area, the 5.35-hectare project
Square is not commensurate with the traffic is divided into five Development Areas on
and pedestrian volumes, and you constantly two sites, namely the Main Site and the Yuet
see people being pushed into the traffic Wah Street Site, together accounting for a
lanes.‘ total gross floor area of about 400,000 m2.
The Project is envisioned to transform the
As one of Hong Kong’s first-generation New outmoded site into a modern town centre
Towns planned in the 1950s for about 60,000 and transport hub for the residents of East
people, fuelled primarily by the factories that Kowloon, providing commercial, residential,
were built around the coastal area south of government/institutional facilities and large
Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong quickly grew to public open spaces. In addition to the key
become one of the highest density districts in objective of improving the living quality of over
the city, today home to over 600,000 people. 4,500 people, it is anticipated to regenerate
Yue Man Square has always been the heart an aging town centre of poor environmental
of the town, as evidenced by the presence attributes, rejuvenate the area through the
of MTR station entrances, a franchised bus creation of more job opportunities, and
terminus and minibus terminus, government create a place that reflects the aspirations of
district offices, branches of most major the local community. With such a scale and
banks, and a wide range of retail shops complexity, and more than 1,600 property
and commercial properties, with residential interests to acquire, the project is estimated
buildings sprawling to the north. Since the to cost over $30 billion.
roads designed in the old days could not keep
up with Kwun Tong’s rapid growth, the area
164 HONG KONG REPORT ON THE STATE OF SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT 2014
Projects Striving for Sustainable Urban Renewal in
a High-Density Environment
’Hygiene conditions are pathetic here, with around Yue Man Square became infamous While urban redevelopment inherently fulfils
people urinating in the staircases and the for traffic jams and the associated air and several site selection criteria of a sustainable
air is filthy. I don’t really want to live here noise pollution. Concomitantly, the buildings, neighbourhood development, such as the
anymore, if I have a choice,‘ commented predominantly 4 to 13-storeys high and more preservation of existing green open space,
Mrs Lam, a resident of the Kwun Tong town than 50 years old, were dilapidated and some the existence of community connectivity,
centre. During the community engagement were not even structurally intact. and access to public transportation, the
workshops organised in 2005, many logistics involved to implement such projects
inhabitants expressed the same eagerness to Against this background, the Urban Renewal probably take up more resources than any
move out of the bustling hub that had been Authority (URA) officially launched the Kwun
serving them since the 1960s. Social worker Tong Town Centre Redevelopment Project
Miss Tse pointed out another pressing issue in March 2007. Zoned as a Comprehensive
at the site: ’The narrow road at Yue Man Development Area, the 5.35-hectare project
Square is not commensurate with the traffic is divided into five Development Areas on
and pedestrian volumes, and you constantly two sites, namely the Main Site and the Yuet
see people being pushed into the traffic Wah Street Site, together accounting for a
lanes.‘ total gross floor area of about 400,000 m2.
The Project is envisioned to transform the
As one of Hong Kong’s first-generation New outmoded site into a modern town centre
Towns planned in the 1950s for about 60,000 and transport hub for the residents of East
people, fuelled primarily by the factories that Kowloon, providing commercial, residential,
were built around the coastal area south of government/institutional facilities and large
Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong quickly grew to public open spaces. In addition to the key
become one of the highest density districts in objective of improving the living quality of over
the city, today home to over 600,000 people. 4,500 people, it is anticipated to regenerate
Yue Man Square has always been the heart an aging town centre of poor environmental
of the town, as evidenced by the presence attributes, rejuvenate the area through the
of MTR station entrances, a franchised bus creation of more job opportunities, and
terminus and minibus terminus, government create a place that reflects the aspirations of
district offices, branches of most major the local community. With such a scale and
banks, and a wide range of retail shops complexity, and more than 1,600 property
and commercial properties, with residential interests to acquire, the project is estimated
buildings sprawling to the north. Since the to cost over $30 billion.
roads designed in the old days could not keep
up with Kwun Tong’s rapid growth, the area
164 HONG KONG REPORT ON THE STATE OF SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT 2014
